Search continues for missing Vermont Heights woman

St. Johns County deputies continued to search the 3000 block of Tenth Street in Vermont Heights and surrounding areas on Sunday for a 67-year-old woman, Barbara Parchem, who was reported missing Saturday morning after she failed to show up to work.

Parchem is believed to be in the area on foot.

“We’re using multiple resources and an abundance of caution right now,” said St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Catherine Payne on Sunday evening. “It’s now been more than 48 hours, and with each hour it becomes more of a concern.”

Those resources have included several deputies on foot and ATVs, as well as a helicopter.

Payne said the Jacksonville Fire Rescue was also assisting with the search by providing officers and search dogs on Sunday.

Parchem, 67, is white, stands 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 100 pounds. She has brown eyes and short brown hair with blonde highlights. She was last seen late Friday by family members, and was wearing dark pants, a gray hooded sweatshirt and a dark colored shirt.

“Miss Barbara, as she’s called by many people, is well-known throughout the community,” Payne said. “A lot of people are worried about her.”

Payne said the Sheriff’s Office does not suspect foul play, but “there is concern for her welfare, from some possible medical and/or mental issues mentioned in family statements.”

Parchem’s daughter, Lillyann Chavez, told First Coast News on Sunday that her mother’s disappearance didn’t make much sense.

“I don’t think she walked away. I think she got picked up,” Chavez said. “This is unusual beyond norm for her. There’s a puzzle and the middle piece of that puzzle is gone.”

Anyone who thinks they may have seen Parchem or has any information on her whereabouts is asked to call 911 or the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office at 824-8304.